Franco slammed the damn Desanigh dagger onto a table in the main room of the Expedition office. He slumped into a stool around the table, and put his head down on it. Oaken sat down next to him and pulled out his Grimoir. He opened up the spell book to his book mark and began reading, with his third hand slowly moving across the complex spell. He had chosen to start learning Lesser Heal as his first spell from the book.

  “It’s not really bad news Franco. Seven of the eight merchants want to buy it and so do multiple Gold teams.”

  Keeping his head on the table he went to push the Kimber but he blocked Franco’s hand with his left arm while he sipped water from a canteen his large right hand was holding while he read.

  “Sure, they offered us half or third what Mistress Bluescale valued it as and say they will only pay more if Suzerain Valiant apprises the item. The most sought after Enchanter and Appraiser not only in this region but this half of the world” Franco mumbled into the table.

  “He is here, and he is looking over the spear we got that my father took. I am sure we can get him to look over the dagger Franco. Stop being dramatic, we just have to wait a few more days at most.”

  “How much did we get from selling everything else?” Franco asked.

  “Nine health potions, four stamina and 3400 gold.” Oaken answered.

  “Have you learned the spell yet”

  “It's been two days, so no,” Oaken trilled in amusement.

  Franco knew he was being impatient but he wanted to be moving. Oaken and him had been talking all day yesterday and most of today with the merchants and some Gold rankers. He really wanted some new armor just to be ready for anything. Having healing potions on his belt and gold in hand made him feel like he had a chance but no armor was making his skin crawl.

  The doors to the outside flew open, slamming against the walls as the noise from the street outside burst in. He looked up from the table to see an old elf, a really old elf. With hair so grey it looked silver with a very fair complexion. The elf was almost 6’3 with his silver hair long and pulled back in a ponytail that draped behind his elongated elf head with his elongated elf ears prominent in their length and sharpness which Franco suddenly remembered was a sign of age on elves.

  The elf walked into the room with a large entourage following behind him. They were all dressed in sturdy work boots, dark blue pants and long sleeve tan shirts with thick leather aprons that went down to their knees and had pockets and loops full of tools and other items. The elf was dressed the same as the Kimber and men behind him but with much finer material. Franco thought his pants and shirt were both silk of some kind and his apron was some fine monster leather and was holding an enchantment or two on it.

  “Suzerain Valiant” Oaken said softly.

  One of his apprentices carried the red spear as they entered.

  “Are they here yet I just got the message” Valiant said as he walked into the middle of the room looking around.

  “Not yet Suzerain Valiant” Innosaa said from the doorway. She pushed her way into the building, passed the entourage and looked around the crowded room.

  “I also just got the message, it will be a few minutes.” She nodded deeply to the old elf. Almost a bow before she turned to face the crowded room. “Everyone else out now”.

  Franco sighed and pushed back his stool picking up the dagger from the table.

  “Dinner?” He asked Oaken.

  “Sure”

  They made it a few steps away from their back corner table by their room before Innosaa saw them and waved them down. “Not you two” she said.

  “Yes, Mistress Innosaa” Franco said with a smile.

  She stopped from turning away from them for just a second, a smile coming to her lips before she continued to turn to the crowd to hurry them out.

  Valiant sat down among the tables by the door with his apprentices around him. One placing a large book in front of him that the elf opened and began to read.

  Seeing this and still standing Franco walked over but before he could approach the elf a young man stood up to block his way.

  “How can I help you adventurer, Suzerain Valiant is very busy and an appointment must be made. I can help you over here and if anything else is needed we have other Masters that could see to your needs”.

  Franco nodded to the man that was around his own age and knew that he was doing his job and had been given the unappreciated job of blocking random people from speaking with his Master.

  “Thank you. I am Franco of the Stone Eaters, that red spear that was brought in was one that my team and I found in Desanigh and will go to Master Helmric as payout of our loot but I was wondering what was found out about it. We also have other items from Desanigh as well as the Jade Temple like my Jade saber that I thought Suzerain Valiant might like to inspect If I could talk to him” Franco said loudly and with a pleasant tone.

  “Let him by,” Valiant said from behind his apprentice’s back.

  Franco nodded to the young man and walked past him as he stepped aside. Valiant closed his book, which another apprentice then picked up before he stood his arm out in greeting.

  Franco took the elf's hand in a firm handshake and he could feel the strength of the old and high level elf. “It's a pleasure to meet you Suzerain Valiant, I’m Franco Young and this” He looked back to see Oaken still standing in the middle of the room. He waved him to come over.

  “Shy Kimber is my teammate Oaken Finstrider”

  “A young man of manners and Fate. Come join me at my table and I will happily talk to you about your many fascinating relics”

  Franco unhooked Sarah’s dagger, sheath and from his belt and placed it on the table as he sat. Oaken was quick to sit next to him after shaking Valiant’s hand.

  “A honor to see you, Suzerain Valiant. I know my father was very happy to hear that you would make the considerable effort to come here” Oaken said as he sat at the same table.

  “Call my Valiant, the son of Master Helmric and the heroes of the Jade Temple need not be so formal with an old elf like me. This is a great opportunity for all of us and I am glad I can join you in it Oaken.” His long fingers rubbed at his clean shaved chin as he looked at the dagger on the table as he spoke.

  He turned back to Franco, locking eyes with him and pointing at the dagger with his right hand asked “May I”

  “Of course” Franco said.

  “Show them the report on the spear” Valiant said as he gently picked up the sheathed dagger and placed it in front of him on the table where he sat. Suddenly six members of his entourage were around him, tools in hand while one had a small notebook with pen ready to write anything down.

  Franco was happy to see the dagger getting inspected so easily as he was handed a full two pages of paper with detailed notes and numbers about the spear. He skimmed it for the two pieces of information he cared about and found them towards the bottom of the second page.

  High Gold Rank

  Estimated value: 88,000 thousand gold.

  Franco showed it to Oaken who trilled in delight. His father was going to owe them some gold.

  They were soon joined by Merchant Bluescale who came into the room with two of her own workers that carried a large chest between them. She looked over to their table and Franco could see she wanted to join them but found an empty table where her workers placed the chest on and began to unload items from it. Including scales and other tools.

  Similar tools that Valiant now used on the dagger which he had only slightly unsheathed now.

  He wasn't sure how long it took but only after what felt like half an hour Master Helmric, spear in hand, came into the room with a long line of people following him.

  They all carried boxes or crates, some so large that it took two people to carry them. The line of people came in dropping off what they carried and headed out the front door where a young human woman, Franco and not seen before took down their name in a small notebook.

  Oaken and him were starring as the last of the long line of potters came in. A large brown skinned Hoplite walked into the room in his fool armor. Franco felt he had seen the man before. Behind him came a Hareking Halfing and a Sea Elf. It was only then that he noticed two small woman and a taller one standing to the side of the room along with a Dwarf with a massive axe and two other men. They had dropped off large heavy looking bags but had stayed in the room whenever one else had left after dropping off what they carried.

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  Franco made eye contact with the short woman with brown hair wearing a tricorn hat with twin blades on the back of her adventures belt before she looked away. She felt familiar to him but he wasn't sure why. Her clearly twin sister was dressed as a cowboy with a thick dusty and a cowboy hat.

  “By the Apparatus is this all gold?” Mistress Bluescale said as she got up from her table and hurried over to the row of chests, bags and crates of goods.

  Franco's eyes shot to the small mountain of goods that now occupied a good portion of the large room. Was that all gold? He made eye contact with Oaken and the Kimbers eyes were alight with greed as he knew his were.

  “We are not so lucky, Mistreiss” the Harekine said in a friendly voice as he stood next to the dwarf.

  “Lots of silver and other metals we are not sure of”

  Not counting his long ears he was just a few inches taller than the woman.

  “Mistriss Bluescales, and I am a merchant young Harekin so you can call me Tina if you are part of the Adventuring team that found this treasure horde” The old dwarf said with a smile as she stuck her hand out in greeting.

  The Harekin laughed before he shook her hand.

  “Cid, from the Wrath of Pele. The old stinky Sea Elf is Daggron and the Hoplite is our leader Ajax but he likes to be called Jax” Cid said as he pointed out his teammates to her and the room.

  “Says the Harekin who hasn't taken a bath in a week”

  Cid’s half ear, Franco just noticed that one had clearly been cut in half at some point twitch in embarrassment.

  “Its only been a day, Tina and that was a lot of gold to carry up here” Cid said.

  Helmric came stopping back from his storage room carrying a large chest while several more were brought out by others. He dropped it near the pile of loot and looked around them room.

  “Alright I see you hired helpers which is the smart thing to do so lets have them with all parties watching start counting the goods goods. Suzerain Valiant and Misstriss Bluescale if you would inspect the coinage and other goods that come out of this pile. Master Netlor if you would take the lead in organizing and accounting for goods. Get comfortable everyone it will take well into the night to do this” Helmric said as he turned and sat back down at his table.

  Master Helmric had not been exaggerating. Maph and Frazier had quickly joined them at their table after hearing about the find when they were out. Suzerain Valiant looked over a few coins and other metals that were brought to him from the large pile that was quickly being sorted out by the three women and three men that Franco learned were two different Bronze teams that had been hired to help move and now count the goods. Everyone else watched or worked on identifying things.

  It took hours and Helmric had Franco and his team get dinner for everyone and then run some errands as they waited in the room watching the excitement. Suzerain Valiant quickly went back to inspecting Sarah’s old dagger and then many of their other items they had brought out of the mountain over their two trips. Franco did not let him see his saber even after he asked to after a few hours.

  It was well into the night before it was all done. They had been chased back to their table behind Helmric’s desk as Suzerain Valiant and Tina compared notes over the last half an hour. It was only after Master Netlor talked to them that he stood before the room.

  The two teams that had helped move and count the goods were getting ready to eat their second dinner but Innosaa was making them wash their hands and arms in fresh water for a minute before they could. Old money was always dirty.

  “I have the initial report Master Helmric” Netlor said to the room.

  “Go ahead” Helmric said as he waved from his third in command to continue.

  “First the bad news”

  That got the attention of the Wrath of Pele group who sat up from their table and looked at the old Kimber in worry.

  “Per Suzerain Valiant and Misstriss Bluescale, the gold and silver are both cut with more lesser material than or standard coin. Where ours is 9 parts out of 10 the coinage here is only 6 parts out of 10 for gold while the silver here is 7 parts out of 10.”

  “Fucking bilge bile” Daggron said from his table.

  Franco could feel the air come out of the room. He wasn't sure what the math was but they had just lost something like 40% of the value of what they thought it was.

  “I’m sorry but this has been confirmed to be standard from the dungeon and the Temple. We compared it to what the Stone Eaters got from the temple.”

  Franco looked over to his teammates and their faces fell at the news. They had gotten so much but to just instantly lose 40% or the gold they had brought out was a blow. Now he thought he really felt what Pele must be feeling.

  Netlor let the news settle for a few seconds before he continued. “The good news is that gold and silver come out to roughly 480,000 gold dollars in today's coinage. With the Guilds and Expeditions cut the Wrath of Pele will get roughly 288,000 while the other metals are valued at roughly 435,000, which Pele will get 261,000. All together 905,000 gold worth of value making it the four largest haul of this century.”

  The room was quite and Franco was sure that the Wrath of Pele had mixed emotions. It was a staggering amount of wealth but it was less then they and apparently the entire room thought it was while also being more wealth then most Silver rank adventures made in a lifetime. How would he feel about it all, he wasn't sure and Helmric didn't let anyone stew in it for long.

  “Thank you Netlor, what have we promised our helpers here” Helmric said to the room looking at the six people who had spent hours working sorting all the goods.

  “100 gold from us” Jax said quickly

  “And 15 from the expedition but since none of them tired to steal anything I think another 5 would would be appropriate” Netlor added.

  “Pay them from our coffers Master Netlor, we will take the difference out of Pele if it is ok with them” Helmric said as he looked to Jax who just nodded agreement.

  The six got paid and Helmric made clear that he didn’t want to hear any rumors the next day coming from them about what had happened here tonight. The two groups both promised to stay quiet about it and Franco caught himself locking eyes with the twin in the cowboy mage outfit. She smiled at him and then to Franco’s surprise she winked at him before she left.

  “Looks like someone has a fan,” Oaken said with a small smile on his face.

  “It's only because of my dangerous good looks. You wouldn't understand”

  “Sure and not the relic saber at her hip” Oaken throttled.

  Once they were gone Helmric stood before the Wrath of Pele. “Lets hear it” he said as he waved all three hands at them.

  “Thats robbery, there is no way that is all we brought out” Daggron said in an instant.

  “Daggron shut up” Jax said in a sigh before the Sea Elf could get going.

  “Its alright lets hear it. This is not the first time I have done this” Helmric said.

  Those words seemed to deflate Daggron and Cid who looked like he didn't know what he should do with himself.

  After no one spoke for a minute he waved over Netlor who brought them a stack of papers that he put down on the table.

  “Read over it, it's all official and sealed with not only the Expeditions seals but also Suzerain Valiant and Mistress Bluescale. It has all the information and explanations. That should reassure you that no one here is actively trying to cheat you and none of us are lying. It's honestly less than I thought and I expect something like this after handling the gold the Temple handed out. I know know it's frustrating but you are all getting nearly 93,000 in gold and silver each along with goods valued at 87,000 each.”

  “Less than then as there is a fourth cut” Cid cut in immediately as he looked to Daggron.

  The old Sea elf sighed and looked briefly to Jax who wouldn't make eye contact with him.

  “Yes, there is a fourth cut. So where does that leave us” Daggron asked the room.

  One of Suzerain Valiant apprentices immediately answered.

  “135,000 each in combined worth”

  “Thank you” Jax said, speaking to Daggron and Cid.

  They both waved him off.

  “Of course” Daggron said quietly to Jax but everyone in the room still heard.

  Franco looked over to Oaken who in an actual whisper that Franco barely heard said.

  “A fourth teammate died to the scarabs”

  Franco nodded in understanding. Her family would get her cut then. A life changing amount for any but the wealthiest in the world and even they would look with some greed at these numbers.

  Jax nodded to his teammates before looking to Helmric.

  “So what now”

  “Now we will take our cut and insure the Guilds” Helmric said as he waved over the the chest that he had help bring out. Netlor with a few others closed and locked those chests with three clearly labeled as Guild property.

  “Then you need to make a deal with a merchant. Not tonight and talk with all of them before you settle but you need to exchange most of it here to our gold or Bank Cores as transport fees alone will eat up a good potion of your earnings.

  “Talk to me tomorrow and I will make a good offer and give you a good exchange rate” Tina said to them.

  “Thank you Mistriss” Jax said before looking over to Suzerain Valiant.

  He was reading some notes he had written but looked up when Jax looked towards him

  “I am no merchant but I will give you a 1 to 1 exchange for a 100 different coins just to collect oh and bring me anything interesting you find oh and also sell me some of those chests you brought in. They are amazing”

  The entire room looked to see where he pointed. They had brought in the horde of treasure in chests, crates and bags of all kinds but then it hit Franco. Some of those were the original chest from 4000 years ago. They would need to be of incredible quality to last.

  Tina hissed but smiled. “I would also like to buy or exchange some of those chest no matter which merchant you chose to exchange your gold with”

  Master Netlor went to the chest to inspect them while Helmric laughed.

  “Looks like we missed something. Thank you Suzerain Valiant. Seems you are weather than you just thought” Helmric said to Jax.

  “So for my own sake as I was not planning on sending a caravan back for some weeks but might now. Will you you be staying or going soon?” Helmric asked.

  The room waited for some time as the Wrath of Pele talked privately before they broke up and Jax answered Helmric.

  “I think we will be here for a while yet Master Helmric. We are not done with this dungeon”

  “Good good then we are done for tonight. You will keep your gold here free of charge of course as moving it is too dangerous for all of us tonight” Helmric said as he turned and headed back to his desk.

  Franco knew this was his moment and elbowed Oaken to follow him. He got up from his table and before they could leave or anyone else could get to them he approached the standing team now.

  “Congratulations on the find of a lifetime and thanks for getting some of the eyes off us” Franco said as he walked up to the group and nodded towards them.

  “No problem, now there are two groups everyone will be jealous of,” Cid said as he stuck out his hand to shake Franco's.

  “Well I appreciate it,” Franco said, shaking the Harekins hand.

  “So much so that I want to sell you this High Gold Rated dagger. Rated and inspected by Suzerain Valiant himself while we watched the show”

  Franco heard Oaken next to him trill in embarrassment but he got a laugh from Cid and Jax at that.

  “Got the papers to prove that” Daggron said but with no malice as Suzerain Valiant was just feet away.

  “Why yes I do” Franco said as he handed Cid the dagger and Daggron the papers that Suzerain Valiant had given him on the dagger.